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Madhuku ups draft fight

Politics
NATIONAL Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Lovemore Madhuku has warned against adopting the draft constitution saying it is heavily flawed.

NATIONAL Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Lovemore Madhuku has warned against adopting the draft constitution saying it is heavily flawed.

STAFF REPORTER

Madhuku said among many other shortcomings was that the draft had a clause that forbids holding of fresh elections in the event of a president resigning or dying in office for a period of 10 years. The clause gives the ruling party the power to appoint a president of its choice.

Addressing journalists in Harare on Wednesday, Madhuku said the provision had the potential to ignite explosive succession battles. “In the next 10 years, if a president resigns or dies, there are no by-elections for the president,” he said.

“The country is given a president by the political party of the former president yet the people elect a person not a political party for president.”

“This means if there are internal fights in the political party concerned, the country will have to go without a president until a political party sorts itself out.”

Madhuku said the NCA had intensified its campaign for the rejection of the draft charter.

He also threatened to block the referendum in the courts if the government gives a two-week notice.

But Madhuku admitted that the NCA was too broke to carry out an effective national campaign against the draft constitution. “We are disturbed by statements from political parties that say the referendum will come after a two-week notice,” he said.

“Our demand is that it be two months’ notice. “We have spoken to our lawyers who will make an urgent application if the politicians want a short notice.”

Madhuku said people must be given adequate time to go through the draft to make an informed choice at the referendum. “The MDC-T must stop intimidating people and taking other people’s opinion as nonsense,” he said.

“I was embarrassed at the funeral of John Makumbe when the MDC-T was intimidating people and campaigning for their ‘yes’ vote, but not even in good language. “They must stop that intimidation.”

Madhuku also questioned the logic of increasing the number of MPs from the current 210 to 350 saying it does not strengthen Parliament.